Exercising and training apparatus



July 20, 1954 YOUMANS 7 2,684,109

4 EXERCISING AND TRAINING APPARATUS Filed July 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2i (lttorneg July 20, 1954 G. A. YOUMANS EXERCISING AND TRAINING APPARATUS Filed July 10. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zhwentor attorneys I 1 I I l l l l l 1 I'll/Ill! Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE EXERCISI-NG AND TRAINING APPARATUS: Grace A. Youmans, Greenwich, Conn. Application July" 10, 1951,. Serial No.. 235,989.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to exercisin and training apparatus, and particularly to apparatus in the nature of a supporting. standardone or more radialarms rotatable about theaxis of thestandard, and flexible cables of adjustable length depending from the arm or arms for. supporting a patient during exercise or hydro-therapy treatments, or a student skater. or swimmer.

It is well known that many patients recovering from poliomyelitisand broken legs, and amputees fitted with artificial legs, are reluctant to exercise as they fear a, fall and consequent injury. The so-called.walkers do aiford a feeling of security but such equipment is. of limited utility and, at least in the early stages, a separate nurse or orderly should. attend, each patient. Similarly, a separate attendant is customary for each one or two patients in hydro-therapy. In the sports field, the instruction of a group in skating, riding and swimmingfrequently proceeds at a slow rate as many beginners feel insecure and will practice only under the direct attention and care of the instructor.

Objects of the invention are to provide exercising and training apparatus for use "by a. number of individuals and which is adjustablefor the optimum treatment or. training or each, of. the individuals. Objects areto provide-exercising and training apparatus including a vertical standard and; at least one, radial arm rotatable about. the axis of the standardthe armbeing of adjustable length and provided with a cable of adjustable length towhich may be attacheda sling: or other harness for supporting adesired fraction of the weight of a patient or trainee. More specifically, an object is to provide an exercising and training apparatus including a vertical standard which, if desired may be portable, and a plurality of sets of radial arms rotatable about the axis of the standard, the arms being of adjustable length and provided with cables of adjustable length to which may be attached a sling or harness for supporting a patient or trainee.

These and other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an exercising and training apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation on a larger scale, and with parts in central vertical section, of the upper end of the standard and the rotatable radial arms;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on the plane indicated by section line l4 of Fig. 3, and" view of a cable reel and associated parts as seen.

from the right of Fig. 4; and

Figs. 6, and 7 are fragmentary views, partly in.

section, showing alternative constructions for the tripod feet. for supporting the standard.

In the drawings, the reference numeral l identifies a standard. or column. which is vertically adjustable. in a supporting sleeve 2 and may be locked, in. a. desired adjusted position by any appropriate. clamping means. such as the illustrated set screw 3. The. sleeve 2 may be set in the floor in the caseof. a permanent installation. or, as. illustrated, may. be. carried. by tripod legs pivoted to a collar 4- integral with the sleeve 2. and. each. comprising an upper tubular section 5. and a lower rod section 6. which is telescoped. into its tube section and. secured in desired adjustment therein by aset screw. 7. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the apparatus isportable and adapted. to be secured to, the fioor. of a. room or. of a swimming. pool by suction cups 8' fixed. to arcuateplates 9.which.are.connected to. the tripod leg sections 6. by balleand-socket joints ID. The telescoped legs andv ball-andi-socket joints permit a vertical arrangement. ofv the. standard I when the apparatus is supported on the bottom of'a swimming pool or. hydro-therapy tank which, inv general, havev sloping floors. Chains ii are connected. between. the tube. sections 5 of the tripod legs to limit. their relative angular displacement andthusfacilitate the. setting of the tripod support.

A plurality of sets of radial arms A, A and B, B are supported upon the upper end of the standard I for individual rotation about the axis of the standard. Arms A are welded to and supported by the radial flange of a sleeve [2 which is journalled on the standard I and rests upon, and may be welded to, the upper grooved plate l3 of a ball bearing assembly which includes a lower grooved plate l4 welded to the standard I and a set of balls 15. The radial arms B are similarly welded to an annular plate is resting on and/or welded to the upper grooved plate I! of a ball bearing assembly including a lower grooved plate l8 and balls IS.

The several radial arms are preferably of identical construction and include an inner tubular section 20 and an outer telescoped tubular section 2| which is anchored in desired position with respect to the inner section by a set screw 22. A flexible cable 23 extends through each radial arm and passes over a pulley 25 at the outer end of each arm section 2!. The inner end of each cable is wound upon a reel or drum 25 journalled in a housing 26 secured to the inner end of the associated radial arm. The shaft 2'! of each drum 25 has secured thereto the gear 28 of a non-reversible worm and gear drive which includes a worm 29 operable manually by a crank arm it.

At their outer end, the cables 23 are each provided with a sling or harness 3| of appropriate type by which a patient or trainee may be supported to a desired degree from the exercising and training apparatus. Auxiliary supports such as the illustrated loop 32, Fig. 2, may be suspended from one or more of the radial arms. The loops may be used as hand grips, or head rests for helpless polio patients may be attached to the loops. The auxiliary supports are suspended ircm the arms by any convenient means, such as the illustrated light rods telescoped into a split rod clamp 32, which affords an adjustment or" the height or level of the auxiliary support.

The telescoping adjustment of the lengths of the several radial arms, and the adjustments of the efiective lengths of the supporting cables 23 go to the essence of the invention as they provide an individual adjustment of the apparatus for each of the patients or trainees. The cables .23 are each adjusted to such a length that the ini patients or trainees can not fall if they should stumble or lose their rooting during walking exercises, and the efiective cable lengths may be such that the cables carry desired fractions of the weights of the individual patients or trainees. The lower set of arms A are preferably employed with the patients who require or who should take less exercise, and the effective lengths of the arms are shortened so that the patients will travel around a relatively small diameter circular path. For hydro-therapy and for swimming instructions, the lengths of the cables may be adjusted to afford a desired degree of buoyancy for each individual. Other hospital uses of the apparatus are the transfer of patients from beds to wheelchairs or other beds, and the support of amputees for the fitting of artificial legs.

The apparatus as above described is portable and may be moved from point to point as desired. For a fixed mounting of the apparatus, Fig. 7, the universal joints Ill of the tripod leg members may be carried by anchor plates 33 having openings 3A through. which bolts may be passed 4 to secure the apparatus to a floor or other supporting base,

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus as herein illustrated and described since various modifications which may occur to others fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In exercising and training apparatus adapted for adjustment to provide individual support for a number of trainees for travel along noncoincident substantially circular paths, a vertical standard and base means supporting the same, two sets of opposed radial supporting arms, hearing means mounting each of said sets of arms upon the upper end of the standard for individual rotation in either direction about the axis oi said standard in vertically spaced horizontal planes, each of said arms including telescoped sections and means for securing the same rigidly to each other in desired extended conditions which may be different for each arm, an idler pulley at the outer end of each outer arm section, a cable reel carried by each inner arm section, a non-reversing worm and gear for driving each cable reel, a cable wound on each reel and having an outer end extending over the pulley of the associated radial supporting arm, and means at the outer end of each cable for the support of a trainee.

2. In exercising and training apparatus, the invention as recited in claim 1, wherein said standard supporting means comprises a tripod having legs of adjustable length for supporting said standard upon a non-level surface.

3. In exercising and training apparatus, the invention as recited in claim 2, wherein each tripod leg terminates in a suction cup secured thereto by a ball-and-socket joint.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 74,683 I-Iall Feb. 18, 1868 168,412 Pratt Oct. 5, 1875 649,901 Brennan May 22, 1900 903,731 Kull Nov. 10, 1908 952,495 Austin Mar. 22, 1910 1,112,514 Zimmerman Get. 6, 1914 1,437,179 Herson Nov. 28, 1922 1,782,672 Austin Nov. 25, 1930 1,877,570 Fitzgerald Sept. 13, 1932 

